One of my goals with my N scale layout is to get as many models of UP locomotives as I can find from the 40's to mid 70's. A large number of these have been recreated as N scale models but not all. One that I was having a hard time finding was a 'High Nose' SD24. UP only had one but I decided if I could end up with one that would be nice. I found an Atlas SD24 CB&Q undecorated shell on ebay and purchased it hoping I'd have the skills to paint it at some point. The recommentation was to put it on an Atlas SD24 frame. I started looking on ebay for Atlas SD24's and found they were usually going for more than I really wanted to spend. Then on SpookShow I found out that Atlas SD7/9/24/26's all shared the same chassis so started looking for any of those with a good price. Still no luck. Then I wondered if the shell would go on a Life-Like SD7 chassis/frame as I had a couple of those and you can find them for less than the Atlas models. As you will see below the shell seems to work fine on the Life-Like chassis. UP was also the only one to have SD24 B units and I have one of those shells also coming. Hope it also will work with the Life-Like chassis. I'll report back. Above is the Life-Like SD7 with the shell removed. These are kind of old fashion looking under the shell but the ones I've bought seem to run well on my DC test track. I will be converting them to DCC as I find the time. This is a nice shell and only cost $13 but I'll have more into it by the time I fit it out with the handrails, tanks on the top, couplers and more. I also haven't tried painting one of these yet so who knows how that will go. The shell presses down on the Life-Like chassis like it was made for it. Looks nice but a lot of work to go. A little more info here along with a couple more pictures.... http://1fatgmc.com/RailRoad/Locos-1/page-1.html Sumner
This reminds me of the HH SD24 I have. It was made by Hallmark and was an interesting plan, that would solve the brass mechanism's problems, simply put a brass shell on an existing split frame mechanism, but there were speed bumps. A story has it that when the shells were complete and painted, they were placed in an oven to bake the paint overnight. The thermostat either improperly set or just went nuts overnight, and all the shells came unsoldered into a pile of parts, taking the whole thing back to square one. There was a plastic shield over the Atlas or Kato mechanism, and it ran like a dream, unusually quiet. Alas, the bottom was dropping out or the brass market and I believe this was the last N loco from Hallmark. And the brass collectors wouldn't but a brass loco without the brass mechanism. Too bad. But I looked over it and applied the same plan to other brass geeps, using electrical tape to insulate the mechanism. It was worth every bit of trouble.
The angle of the SD24 body photo struck me that one could model a PhaseIII SD9 using the SD24 high short hood cab and base and fans along with an SD9 long hood. C&S had them as did a number of other roads. The higher nose and cab height visually set them apart to make it an interesting project. Charlie Vlk
